A 501(c)3 non-profit raising funds for protective vests, training and equipment for police K9 units in Washington, Idaho and Montana

It’s with tremendous honor and great excitement that we are launching our first campaign to raise money for a police dog, and you have the opportunity to be part of this historic fundraiser!

K9 Rav of the Spokane Police Department is still enthusiastically hard at work, but in December he will turn 10 years old. He’s been tracking, chasing, and apprehending bad guys for nearly 7 years. Like their human counterparts, police work causes tremendous physical wear and tear on canine officers. For a police dog to still be working at age 10 is a testament to K9 Rav’s warrior mentality!

K9 Rav is Officer Lesser’s second dog. Many in Spokane will remember Officer Lesser’s first dog, K9 Var, who was shot (and survived!) in the line of duty. K9 Var was subsequently awarded a purple heart by then SPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick for saving Officer Lesser’s life. Rav was named in honor of Var.

Officer Lesser is a phenomenal leader and trainer in the K9 world, and we’re thrilled to launch this campaign to raise funds for his — and Spokane’s — new four-legged superhero!

Our fundraising goal is $15,000, which we are certain we can reach this year. To help inspire you to donate to this worthy cause, the Spokane Police Dept. K9 Unit has graciously offered the following incentives:

Over $100, receive an 8×10 print of the SPD K9 Unit

Over $250, receive an SPD K9 Unit patch

Over $500, receive a 2016 SPD K9 calendar

Over $1,000, spend an evening with the K9 Unit watching training

Over $5,000, go on a ride-along with a K9 officer and dog

Donations can be made by clicking the link below. You do not have to have a PayPal account in order to donate, just a credit card. You can also mail checks to:

We are delighted to announce that we have started a general fund to raise money to support the Spokane Police Department K9 Unit.

This Saturday, June 20, 2015, from 9am to noon, we will be kicking off the fund by having an informational booth at the Parade of Paws at the Spokane Humane Society, 6607 N Havana. Also in attendance at the booth will be two Spokane Police Department K9s and their handlers. They will be available to meet and greet fellow dog lovers, as well as answer questions about all the ways that K9s benefit the community.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to help protect those who protect us!” said Carla Blazek, Executive Director of K9 Support NW. “When a person needs help, they call the police. When the police need help, they call for a K9.”

Out of respect for the Humane Society’s fundraiser, we will not be accepting donations during the Parade of Paws event. To donate online to the Spokane Police Department K9 fund, click the donation button below or mail checks payable to K9 Support NW (with SPD K9 on the memo line) to:

K9 Support NW
1514 E 9th Ave
Spokane, WA 99202

All donations are tax-deductible.

About K9 Support NW: K9 Support NW is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Spokane, WA. Founded in 2014, K9 Support NW raises funds to purchase high-grade ballistic vests, training, unbudgeted veterinary care and equipment for police K9 units in Washington, Idaho and Montana. For more information, contact Carla Blazek at (509) 534-1534 or carla@k9snw.org.

Last week I attended the funeral of a wonderful man of faith named Howard Bergdoll.

Howard was a Korean war veteran, longtime friend of my parents, pillar of the Spokane community, and father of one of my dearest friends. His oldest daughter Terry (my friend) is a huge dog lover and K9 supporter. In Howard’s obituary she requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to K9 Support NW or the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Thank you, Terry, for supporting our work and for so gracefully and beautifully carrying on your Dad’s commitment to service. Hugs and love to you always.

Happy to say the 2015 Spokane County Sheriff’s K9 Unit calendars are here and GORGEOUS and ready to order!

The cost is $20 per calendar + $6 shipping. If you’re in the Spokane area and want to save on shipping, please include a note during the checkout process and we’ll contact you to make arrangements for you to pick up your calendar(s), and we’ll refund your shipping.

We’re as happy as Spokane Police K9 Talon you stopped by! Our website and logo are currently under construction. We’ll have everything up and running very soon! In the meantime, for all the latest news, photos and updates: